Tom Higgins to return as Als head coach in 2015

[Pete Catan's Ghost]

Chris Jones is obviously coach of the year, Higgins started off way to slowly to be considered coach of the year, Als were awful for a very long part of the season. Coach of the year is Jones to lose.

 

Smart move by the ALS tho, Can't keep firing coaches every year. 

Can't disagree with Jones given the improvements over last year. I do wonder if being a **** might cost him votes, unless he wins the cup.

[sweep the leg]

Amazing how fast Drowsy Joe Mack took it apart two years ago. That was like, two days. Lost Labatte & Picard. Now it takes years to rebuild. 

 

 

Picard was gone before he got here.

[MOBomberFan]

 

Amazing how fast Drowsy Joe Mack took it apart two years ago. That was like, two days. Lost Labatte & Picard. Now it takes years to rebuild. 

 

 

Picard was gone before he got here.

 

That's right. We lost Picard heading into 2009 when Mike Kelly was at the helm. Picard was an FA heading into the 2012 season, though, so we/Mack did have a shot at him.

[17to85]

 

 

Kind of surprising considering Higgins was reportedly at odds with Popp when he first arrived. I guess when you consider the way the Als. have turned things around it was noticed by management. Winning certainly gives coaces a comfort zone alright, something that hasn't happened here for quite awhile. Higgins inherited a solid D AND one of the best o lines in the country. Good foundation for success. I also believe that Crompton was a small reason for their turnaround. Don't know what was wrong with Troy Smith but a fence post with hair could be successful behind that o line and Crompton is proving that. Take note Walters..success starts with a solid o line (something we don't have) and makes life a lot easier for your head coach.

 

I think Walters is well aware of this based on his comments on H&L yesterday.  He basically said a successful long term strategy is to draft 2 OLineman each draft.  One early that can compete with the team this year and one later that can develop and come back the following year.

 

Unfortunately you can't magically fix an O-Line over night.

 

Amazing how fast Drowsy Joe Mack took it apart two years ago. That was like, two days. Lost Labatte & Picard. Now it takes years to rebuild. 

 

You gotta stop acting like we actually had Picard when Mack was here. He was never on this team when Mack was here. Never mind that Picard isn't the difference between a good OL and a bad OL either. 

[blueandgoldguy]

Mack was so focused on signing Labatte (which he managed NOT to do anyways) that he lost out on Picard in free agency when he was ripe for the picking.  That's probably what iso is referring to.

[DR. CFL]

Picard wanted to go east and Toronto bucked up for him. No different than LaBatte wanting to go to Sask. Why do people always want to blame someone for decisions players make?

[M.O.A.B.]

 

 

 

Kind of surprising considering Higgins was reportedly at odds with Popp when he first arrived. I guess when you consider the way the Als. have turned things around it was noticed by management. Winning certainly gives coaces a comfort zone alright, something that hasn't happened here for quite awhile. Higgins inherited a solid D AND one of the best o lines in the country. Good foundation for success. I also believe that Crompton was a small reason for their turnaround. Don't know what was wrong with Troy Smith but a fence post with hair could be successful behind that o line and Crompton is proving that. Take note Walters..success starts with a solid o line (something we don't have) and makes life a lot easier for your head coach.

 

I think Walters is well aware of this based on his comments on H&L yesterday.  He basically said a successful long term strategy is to draft 2 OLineman each draft.  One early that can compete with the team this year and one later that can develop and come back the following year.

 

Unfortunately you can't magically fix an O-Line over night.

 

Amazing how fast Drowsy Joe Mack took it apart two years ago. That was like, two days. Lost Labatte & Picard. Now it takes years to rebuild. 

 

You gotta stop acting like we actually had Picard when Mack was here. He was never on this team when Mack was here. Never mind that Picard isn't the difference between a good OL and a bad OL either. 

 

 

As per Walters his approach is to draft 1 OL on first 2 rounds and at least 1 on the later rounds.

The first picked OL is expected to compete and make the roster (eg. Goossen)

The later pick(s) will be sent back to school to develop (eg. Everett)

 

I wouldn't say its a winning formula but it's a lot better than not having any formula at all (Mack) 

[MOBomberFan]

Mack was so focused on signing Labatte (which he managed NOT to do anyways) that he lost out on Picard in free agency when he was ripe for the picking.  That's probably what iso is referring to.

I thought much the same... but then that means that 6 other GM's also 'lost Picard' that season. The only team that actually 'lost Picard' was TO.

[17to85]

 

 

 

 

Kind of surprising considering Higgins was reportedly at odds with Popp when he first arrived. I guess when you consider the way the Als. have turned things around it was noticed by management. Winning certainly gives coaces a comfort zone alright, something that hasn't happened here for quite awhile. Higgins inherited a solid D AND one of the best o lines in the country. Good foundation for success. I also believe that Crompton was a small reason for their turnaround. Don't know what was wrong with Troy Smith but a fence post with hair could be successful behind that o line and Crompton is proving that. Take note Walters..success starts with a solid o line (something we don't have) and makes life a lot easier for your head coach.

 

I think Walters is well aware of this based on his comments on H&L yesterday.  He basically said a successful long term strategy is to draft 2 OLineman each draft.  One early that can compete with the team this year and one later that can develop and come back the following year.

 

Unfortunately you can't magically fix an O-Line over night.

 

Amazing how fast Drowsy Joe Mack took it apart two years ago. That was like, two days. Lost Labatte & Picard. Now it takes years to rebuild. 

 

You gotta stop acting like we actually had Picard when Mack was here. He was never on this team when Mack was here. Never mind that Picard isn't the difference between a good OL and a bad OL either. 

 

 

As per Walters his approach is to draft 1 OL on first 2 rounds and at least 1 on the later rounds.

The first picked OL is expected to compete and make the roster (eg. Goossen)

The later pick(s) will be sent back to school to develop (eg. Everett)

 

I wouldn't say its a winning formula but it's a lot better than not having any formula at all (Mack) 

 

Ehh Mack drafted his share of offensive linemen too so I wouldn't say he didn't try. It's all well and good for Walters to say that, but he's still got to actually get players to develop and become starters for the team, that's what tripped the Bombers up in the past.

[Jpan85]

Picard was ripped here when he was Toronto he could never block Doug Brown.

[Tracker]

Picard was ripped here when he was Toronto he could never block Doug Brown.

And darned few could when Dougie was motoring.

[Mr Dee]

 

Ehh Mack drafted his share of offensive linemen too so I wouldn't say he didn't try. It's all well and good for Walters to say that, but he's still got to actually get players to develop and become starters for the team, that's what tripped the Bombers up in the past.

 

 

 

IMO, the difference will be quite noticeable.

[USABomberfan]

M.O.A.B., on 06 Nov 2014 - 08:48 AM, said:

If Trestman becomes available, I wonder if Marcel Desjardins will make a pitch to bring him back to the CFL. This GM spends like there's a fountain of cash inside the RedBlack's basement.

 

From the looks of things, Trestman is in the NFL to stay now.

 

As to that what happened with Troy Smith thing?  He's never been a keeper QB anywhere he's been.  He hasn't been all bad, in fact he even showed good flashes when he played for the Ravens and the 49ers, but there was always that fizzling out that he would have at some point down the road that ended up derailing his career.  In this case, I think having a young completely raw OC running the offense early on with no help is what put him in trouble.  Had the Als hired Garcia and co earlier like at the beginning of the year, I think he would've faired much better.  But, it is what it is.